Device for rendering vessels unsinkable.



P. ALGER.

DEVICE FOR RENDERING VESSELS UNSINKABLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2. 1918.

1,280,937. Patented 001-. 8, 191a.v

EQUUUUUQDQQ u u Egg-El u UU Fy 2 a WITNESSES 121 IN W Q/MWMK ATTORNE/S PAUL ALGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DEVICE FOR RENDERING VESSELS UNSINKABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed May 2, 1918. Serial No. 232,111.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, PAUL Amen, a citizen .ofthe United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Device for Rendering Vessels Unsinkable, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description- This invention relates to a safety appliance for rendering vessels unsinkable against torpedo attack, and the invention has for its general objects to provide simple, novel and effective means in the form of floats applied to the outside of the hull in such a manner that the speed of the vessel is not materially affected when the floats are in normal position close to the side of the hull, as when traveling through waters not infested with submarines, and which can be adjusted to an outstanding position with respect to the hull when in the danger zone, whereby the buoyancy floats will become effective for keeping the vessel afloat if the hull is struck by a torpedo.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a plurality of floats arranged on opposite sides of the hull and hingedly connected therewith and having mechanical means for swinging them from a pendent position they assume when not in use, to a horizontal position for use to add extra buoyancy at a point above or where a torpedo usually strikes, the floats being spaced apart so that when they are in outstanding osition for use the water can flow between the floats without the latter oflering too much resistance.

With such and other objects in view, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a boat showing the floats in outstanding position for use, as in passing through a submarine zone;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showin the safety appliance applied to a boat w ich is specially constructed to re ceive it;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the method of adapting the safety device to a boat already in use;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the floats and its operating means; and T Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5,

Referring to the drawings, A designates a vessel which has applied to the sides thereof a plurality of floats'B which are arranged adjacent or slightly above the floating line, and these floats are adapted to occupy an outstanding position when in use, whereby extra buoyancy is provided to prevent sinking of the vessel if the same should be struck by a torpedo and some of its compartments torn open. when in position of use he above the depth in which a torpedo travels, so that they will not be struck. The floats normally occupy a position close to the hull when the vessel is traveling through neutral zones or waters not infested with submarines, and being in this position close to the hull the floats do not objectionably decrease the speed of the vessel. The edges a of the floats are beveled to reduce resistance to a minimum, see Fig. 5.

To withstand the upward thrust on the floats when they are in outstanding position, an overhang 1 is provided on the side of the hull by the hull being so built, or this overhang may be in the form of a shelf or flange 1 fastened to a vessel already in use. The floats are attached to the hull by hinges 2 at such position that when the floats are outstanding they engage the overhang 1 or 1 to withstand the upward action of the waves. To raise the floats from a pendent position each float has a lifting cable 3, or equivalent means, fastened at 4 to the outer end and passing over a guide pulley 5 and connected with a winding drum 6. For drawing down the float a retracting cable 7 is connected with the outer portion of the float at 8 and passes downwardly to and under a pulley 9, and thence upwardly to the drum 6, whereby the turning of the drum in one direction will wind up one cable, for instance, the cable 3, and pay out the cable 7, whereas turning of the drum in the opposite direction will produce the reverse effect. The drums 6 for the various floats are mounted on shafts 10 at the deck of the vessel, and these shafts may be driven by any suitable means.

The vessel is of such buoyancy that it would float if the floats B were not used, so

These floats that when the floats B are in Vertical posi- I tion they are not relied upon toikee-p the vessel floating, and when the floats are thrown outwardly into horizontal position. for their intended use they will provide necessa buoyancy in case the required buoy-1 ancy of the vessel is reduced by being daInaged by a torpedo.

. From the foregoing description taken in described the principle of operation,- together with, the appliance which I now consider to be the loest embodiment thereofll desire to have it understood that the. appliance. shown is merely illustrative and that such changes maybe made when desired as fallwithin the scope of the.appendedclairns.

Having thus described my invention, I claim vas new and desire to secure by'Lete terse Patent:

v 1. The combination of a vesselhaving a shoulder on the hull at a point adj acentthe water level, floats hinged to the hull at a i pointbelow the shoulder and adapted to swing from a vertical position close to the boat .toan outstanding{horizontal position, with the floats bearing against the shoulder to 1 oppose upward pressure, and meansv tor movingthe, fioatsto and from either posi- 2. The combination of a boat hull haying a shoulder, adj acent the] water level and horizontal. fl s c nne ted wi h the? h lliand adapted to loearunder; the-shoulder, said floats being all in a common. plane and spaced apart with their front and ire a beveleda' a j 3- .T e na on o atrhullgfix d means on 'the' outside of the hull at a point adj acentithe water level, andfloats hingedly connected with the hulla a' p iith low t e Copies ofthis' patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the fcommissioner oilatents, W sh ps mt m Q. i 

